Australia’s politicians have been facing increasing threats and abuse. It can no longer be dismissed as social media noise or harmless comment
Victorian independent MP Helen Haines was at the opening of a dog park in Mansfield on Monday, out and about in her sprawling electorate of Indi, talking to locals and moving freely.
Later in the afternoon, at 3.35pm, she was unpacking a car outside her electorate office in Wangaratta when a man understood to be known to authorities struck her with his car. He allegedly completed a U-turn when he saw Haines.
